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Fall isn’t quite here yet… in fact, with a string of 90+ degree days in NY, it may feel like it will never come. Lucky for us, the fashion world works on a different schedule. I have a few styles from the FW08 collections coming in August. See below for a sneak peek on 2 styles. Most of the rest will arrive late August. Get ready - Clarabella has some fantastic styles for you!

The Silvia - these heels have ‘Danger’ written all over them;). Just think of all of the mischief you could get into wearing these beauties. New York will never be the same!!

The Zebra - cute with a serious edge. Because every NY woman needs a stylish pair of flats to usher her around the streets of Manhattan. The gladiator for the Fall. Wear them one day with the snaps, one day without. So many choices;)

Both styles from the Farylrobin FW08 collection. Images courtesy of Farylrobin.

As I mentioned last week, Clarabella participated in her very first off-site sample sale. It was a big moment indeed. So big, in fact, that it had to be documented. Just like sending your little one off for her first day at school, I had to see my little shop off to her first day outside of her space in the big shopping world that is NYC. Secret Threads hosted the event which took place at a fantastic space on Mulberry St. called OpenHouse Gallery.

You might think that prep for a sample sale is a piece of cake. It should be I suppose. Maybe with clothes? Draw up a little stock list, put everything on your hangers, put it in a garment bag or box and head on out. (Actually, I have no idea if that’s how clothes work, but I’m just guessing…) With shoes, it’s a whole different story. You could go one of two ways: keep the shoes in their boxes, or cast the boxes aside and give the customers a little something extra with a muslin shoe bag. Clarabella, of course, opted for the latter. Going the classier route isn’t without issue… It still means creating tags, labeling said tags, tying the tags individually onto each bag which must contain one pair of shoes. All in all, I packed up about 98 pairs of shoes, so you can imagine how long that might take! (If you can’t imagine, imagine me working on making tags, doing the inventory list and stamping bags all day on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday then packing everything until roughly 12:30am on Wednesday and Thursday!!) It was worth it though. I think everything looked great! I’m thinking the shoppers liked it as well - I sold 31 pairs of shoes and 4 handbags! If you weren’t able to make it down, stay tuned for news of the next one. There were great deals to be had, and not just at Clarabella’s booth. I managed to snatch up some amazing pieces from Spring & Clifton and Laura Dawson! An added bonus for my shoppers? I now offer shoe bags in place of shoe boxes - you choose!
Anyway, it was a fantastic weekend - check out the photos:
Tags
Packing up…

Clarabella shoe bag

Pile of shoes

Partially packed and nearly ready to roll

More packed and unpacked shoes

Clarabella at the sale

This is what 98 pairs of shoes look like in a big pile… before being geniusly grouped into smaller piles by style (Thanks to Ms. Annie Choi!)

Setup with Honey in the Rough owner, Ashley Hanosh and Designer, Samantha Pleet
Shoppers at the Sample Sale
Bag check + Secret Threads Sale sign.
Sidewalk Marketing
Unpacking… ugh.
Checking the list…

And with all that, I couldn’t have done any of this without some fabulous people, so please bear with me while I take a moment to THANK…

Jason, Amy, Aviva, and Seva at Secret Threads for putting this whole shindig together and being all around lovely to work with!

Whitney at Openhouse Gallery for being a lovely location rep!

The legendary Annie Choi for helping me to pack up, lending me many bags in which to carry mountains of shoes, watching the store on Saturday, helping me to pack up on Saturday night! You, my dear, are truly my own personal hero and rockstar. Yay for you!

Mike B for meeting me early on Friday to lug said mountain of shoes from E. Houston and Clinton all the way over to Mulberry. Tons of happy shoppers thank you as well for if it weren’t for you, none of the shoes ever would have made it past the Clarabella threshold!

Melissa T for helping me to log all of the shoes back in, break down boxes and keeping me company on Sunday night! I miss you already!!

Ed for lending me his gigantic rolling travel bag. Dang that thing is big. I think I might be able to fit Annie in there!

Ashley at Honey in the Rough for telling me about this opportunity in the first place.

Whew… I feel like I just accepted an award. Cue music… I’m out;).

Get ready shoppers:) Tomorrow marks day 1 of a sample sale you definitely don’t want to miss. A collection of designers and shops have been brought together by new website, Secret Threads. Samantha Pleet, Laura Dawson, Madison Harding, Vanessa Barrantes, Sophomore, Verte, Honey in the Rough, and of course lil’ ol’ Clarabella will all be setting up weekend shop at OPENHOUSE Gallery at 201 Mulberry. Merchandise will be heavily discounted - sometimes hitting up to 80% off! There will be a DJ, and open bar, and loads of cool gals to hang out with and talk fashion. I’ve been packing up more shoes than I even know what to do with. Everything is nearly tagged and ready to go. I hope to see you there!! To learn more and RSVP online click here.

AND…. We got a Daily Candy listing today!! I’m not on the listing, but when you click through to the website, I’m there.

check it out!!!

The Morning News is a great news website co-founded by another Colby grad, Rosecrans Baldwin. He used to be a Brooklyn guy, but I understand that he and his wife relocated to France. He’s got a fantastic team of writers for the online pub, covering current news, local stories, artwork, people of interest, mock stories and even the odd mad-lib type story. It’s a good read and one of my distractions here at the shop. A quick look today drew me into their most recent Gallery feature with an interview by Nicole Pasulka, one of TMN’s associate editor. The feature focuses on the photography of Barbara Probst. Different perspectives on a split second… I wanted to share it with you all as I found it to be particularly fascinating. Check it out.

Photos © Barbara Probst, courtesy Murray Guy, New York, all rights reserved. Taken from The Morning News article by Nicole Pasulka. Go read it!!

Happy 4th everyone;). Or at least to everyone who hasn’t yet left the city on some exciting weekend trip - those that are still left at their jobs, reading my little website! Most of my friends have fled the city for the weekend. A few are out in LA for a wedding, a few have gone out to the Hamptons, one is off to Rhode Island, and maybe a few are headed down to PA. It’s left my friend Sanno and I with the big question… what to do for our big day off?? I’m turning to a recent issue of New York Magazine - check this out. I’m leaning toward Sandy Hook, but some sort of kayaking could be fun as well. Whatever we end up with, all you need to know, dear readers, is that Clarabella will be closed tomorrow, July 4, for the holiday. She’ll be open again on Saturday and Sunday, so if you’re still in town and having a lazy weekend to recover from your wild holiday plans, come on in to see me;).

Enjoy and Happy 4th of July!!

Nicole is back from Italy and we’re now full steam ahead with new summer classes. Take a look below and let me know which ones you just can’t pass up;). Email Me to reserve your spot now. Make sure to specify which class has caught your fancy!!
Wrapped Around My Finger

Lost wax casting is an ancient technique of creating a wax model to be cast in precious metal and is a common way of reproducing a design in the modern age. This 3 part class will focus on the making of a ring and the many ways of manipulating wax. There will be 2 back to back nights of demonstrations on carving and filing hard wax as well as working with soft wire wax. The final outcome will be a decorative band; no gem stones will be set. Casting will be done by an outside source and the following week each student will bring their piece to a final finish! All tools, wax and machinery will be provided in class as apart of the total fee. The cost of the casting in sterling silver will be extra: no more than $20.

If the ring is for someone special, besides yourself: please come with their ring size.

Next Class:
Wednesday, July 9 from 7pm to 9pm
Thursday, July 10 from 7pm to 9pm
Thursday, July 17 from 7pm to 9pm
$240.00 for 3 ~ 2hr classes

Charmed, I’m Sure!
Intermediate wax carving class

For all of those who took our ‘Wrapped around your finger’ beginning wax class and demanded to learn further, we are happy to announce your wish has been granted! Those of you who have taken basic wax carving classes elsewhere are also included. In this more advanced class you will learn new techniques with soft pliable wax, molten wax and further your skill with hard wax. Our objective will be to make a pendant to be attached to a chain or another decorative banded ring. There will be two back-to-back nights to complete your design, then the following week you’ll clean and finish assembling your cast metal piece into a wearable work of art. Please come to the first class with plenty of ideas and drawings. After the second class, we will discuss any materials you will need to get to complete your piece. Also, as before, there will be the cost of the casting to be paid at the final class(size and weight of piece will decide the cost). All wax, tools and machinery will be provided.
$300 for 3 ~ 2.5 hour classes

Next Class:
Tuesday, July 29 from 7 to 9:30pm
Wednesday, July 30 from 7 to 9:30pm
Wednesday, August 6 from 7 to 9:30pm

What’s Old is New Again

How many of us have a jewelry box of half pairs of earrings, Broken necklaces and pieces we liked, but just don’t wear any more? Here’s your chance to transform those lost treasures into something you will covet again! In this one afternoon workshop, you will learn basic jewelry assemblage techniques with pliers to create a truly unique and one of kind pair of earrings, necklace or bracelet. No experience is necessary, tools will be provided for class use and extra findings are included. Bring as much as you like and together we will piece together something you’ll be absolutely proud to wear for years to come.

$100 for on 3 hour Class

Next Class:
Sunday, July 13 from 11am to 2pm

How much do we all love the ice cream truck in the summer time? Come on… admit it. On a really hot day, you sometimes sit at your desk and day dream about ice cream. It’s okay - I do it too. The only problem is that I can’t stand the ice cream truck song! It’s a very common sound here in NY. Not only that, but I’m not craving the soft serve cones, the artificially colored and flavored ice pops. Oh no… I’m craving the good stuff. The kind of ice cream that tastes like a little slice of heaven. Lucky for me, the Van Leeuwens are here. Who, you ask, are the Van Leeuwens? Well, Pete and Ben, naturally;). I met the brothers earlier this year through a mutual friend. I heard a little about the ice cream truck plan, along with stories of the tasting parties at their Brooklyn home base. It sounded like a fantastic idea, but then I didn’t hear any news for a while. Next thing I know, Daily Candy is delivered to my inbox on Monday morning and lo and behold, it’s all about the new ice cream truck in town… now parked in Soho! Check out the story here. Then, while perusing a favorite blog of mine, Simply Photo, I happened across another link. Apparently the author saw the truck today in Soho and it caught her eye. Seems like everyone shares in my awesome ice cream craving. To learn more about the fellas and their creations, check out the website: Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream. You can read all about the renewable resources they use or what goes into their ginger ice cream (at the top of my list!). Or… you could just go to the corner of Greene and Prince Streets between 12 and 7pm and ask them in person. Don’t forget to grab an ice cream while you’re there - and maybe bring me one too?;) Congrats Ben and Pete - so exciting!!

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW!!!:)

use the code CLARABELLA for  special discount when reserving!!

Another heads up - this one comes by way of an old college friend of mine who I had the pleasure of seeing over the weekend. Yes, it’s true… Reid Farrington is another Colby-ite turned New Yorker and he just happens to be debuting a new piece in a few weeks. All the info is below - I do hope you’ll be able to check it out! SPECIAL for all Clarabella dedicates? Just use the code ‘Clarabella’ during the first two weeks of opening and get $5 off the ticket price! If you want company, let me know - we’ll coordinate;).

For Immediate Release
Developed with the assistance of 3LD, Digital Performance Institute, Ideal Glass Gallery, and Minetta Street Productions

Wooster Group Video Artist Reid Farrington Presents

THE PASSION PROJECT

June 19 - July 19 at 3LD Art & Technology Center

Tickets are $20, available at 212-352-3101 or www.3LDNYC.org

“In the dazzling video work of Reid Farrington, telling details are picked out and explored with unsettling results.” - Variety

THE PASSION PROJECT is spun from the reels of the last great silent film, Carl Th. Dreyer’s 1928 masterpiece, “The Passion of Joan of Arc”. With support from the Danish film Institute and The University of Copenhagen, this performance installation includes every frame Dreyer shot in relationship to the film, including the reels that — like Joan herself — were lost to fire.

THE PASSION PROJECT explodes the film into the three dimensions; placing the audience inside the film, sitting next Joan, subjecting them to her interrogators and the relentless rhythm of 30 mm film projection. Using a single live actor and multiple projection surfaces, THE PASSION PROJECT explores the intersection of performance and and film. It uses Dreyer’s classic film as the main narrative along with the history behind the making of the film, a discussion with a Danish archivist, the story of making this project, and Joan’s story; her trial, torture, and execution.

Directed by Reid Farrington and performed by Shelley Kay, the workshop production includes costumes by Sara Jeanne Asselin, set by Janet D. Clancy and dramaturgy / technical assistance by Stephen O’Connell and Austin Guest.

The piece had its initial workshop production at the PS/K2 Festival, last November in Copenhagen, Denmark. It will have its official premiere at PS 122 in the fall.

REID FARRINGTON for the past seven years has been employed as a video artist for the Wooster Group. He has designed video and created
hardware and software systems for the playback of video and sound for To You the Birdie!, Brace Up!, Poor Theater, House/Lights, WHO’S YOUR DADA, and Hamlet. He has toured productions to Moscow, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Brussels, and Athens. He has edited
has authored interactive DVDs of The Wooster Group’s performances, Brace Up! and House/Lights. In addition to being a video artist, he
is a director, set, light, and costume designer for various theater and dance companies in NYC. For more information, visit www.reidfarrington.com

THE PASSION PROJECT runs June 19 - July 19, with performances Thurs.-Sat. at 8pm.

3LD Art & Technology Center is located at 80 Greenwich Street (at Rector Street — accessible from the 1/R/W trains at Rector Street). Tickets are $20, available at 212-352-3101 or www.3LDNYC.org.